An object lesson that teaches us how the sacrament can lift us and make us clean again. Adapted from a talk given by Hilary Weeks.
Items Needed:
- Backpack
- Rocks of All Sizes
- Washcloth
Say the following:
Here I have a backpack. How would you describe the backpack? (Answers could include empty, clean inside, easy-to-carry)
Let’s pretend that each week, Heavenly Father has each of us carry around a clean, empty, easy-to-carry backpack just like this one. He has us carry this around 24/7, where ever we go.
As we go throughout our week, each time we make a mistake or do something we know we shouldn’t do, a rock gets put into our backpack. Some of these rocks are small but some are much bigger.
There are many different reasons why we might get a rock put into our backpack. Some of these reasons might include:
*Put rocks into the backpack as you list reasons why we might get a rock. You can also ask, “What are some other reasons why we might get a rock in our backpack?” As they give reasons, have them come up and put a rock in the backpack.
- Saying an unkind word
- Not stopping and helping someone that needs help
- Didn’t read our scriptures
- Bad thoughts
- Being unkind to a family member
- Copied someone’s answers on their homework or test
- Lied to someone
- Forgot to pray
- Listened to inappropriate music
By the end of the week, our backpacks could be pretty full and heavy. The inside of our backpacks wouldn’t be very clean anymore either. (Optional – have a couple of people come up and feel how heavy the backpack is)
Carrying a backpack like this around everywhere we went would be no fun!
Now, what if Heavenly Father gave us a way that we could clean out our backpacks each week so that they weren’t so dirty and heavy anymore? Wouldn’t that be nice?
Well, He did and it’s called the sacrament.
Each week we can go to church and before the passing of the bread and water, we can look inside our backpacks, or in other words, we can think about the things that we need to improve on and we can look at the things we wish we hadn’t done. We can even ask Heavenly Father to remind us of the things that we need to repent of.
Then as the bread and water are passed and we take a piece of the broken bread or drink of the water, with a prayer in our hearts we can ask to be forgiven of the mistakes that we made the week before. Or in other words, we can imagine handing over our backpack to the Savior.
The Savior willingly takes it no matter how heavy it has gotten during the week and He turns that backpack upside down and he shakes it really good, dumping out all of the rocks. (Dump out all the rocks) He even wipes out all the dust and dirt (Use the washcloth to wipe out all the dirt) so that the backpack is totally clean again.
How wonderful it would feel to go from having a dirty, heavy backpack to a clean and empty one!
President Henry B. Eyring has said:
Of all the blessings we can count, the greatest by far is the feeling of forgiveness that comes as we partake of the sacrament.
For a beautiful children’s book by John Bytheway about the Sacrament, click HERE
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Yours Truly,
P.S. This video was used in a Teach Me FHE outline. Sign up today to receive your free FHE Outlines delivered weekly right to your inbox. All outlines coincide with the Come, Follow Me reading assignments. Making FHE preparation as simple as possible for you!
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